The Trial of Dreams and Memories (TMM 2)

Arthur's Offer

Nanu was resting with his eyes closed on the couch inside the police station that doubled as his home, his feet propped up on the table next to an empty bottle and a glass of some kind of alcohol.

"Eh, boss-man?" Guzma called, peeking his head around the open door.

"What is it Guzma?" the Kahuna sighed, not caring enough to open his eyes. "I'm tired. I'm trying to nap here, as you can see."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it...I just...I found somethin' and thought you might want to know about it."

"If it's not a million dollars or a dead body, I don't care."

"Well, it's funny you say that..."

Nanu finally opened his eyes and leaned forward with more urgency than he normally would have. Guzma was partially in view, sweat on his brow from the hot Alolan sun. 

"I'm guessing it's not a million dollars," the Kahuna said, rubbing his eyes and failing to stifle a yawn.

"Nope. Dead guy," Guzma confirmed, stepping entirely into the doorframe. "At least, he looks dead. I didn't check."

"Geez Guzma, don't just pick dead—" Nanu stopped when he realized that he recognized the limp figure in Guzma's arms. "Lie him here," he said, moving the table to make room. "Quickly."

Guzma set the man down and Nanu checked his pulse.

"Arthur," he said, patting the man's face. "Arthur, it's me. You need to wake up."

Arthur groaned and moved his head away before grunting in pain. There was blood caked in his hair and sand sticking to his body like glitter that had been wildly glued to a child's art project. 

"Oh shit, he is alive," Guzma remarked. "I found him outside our walls. My guys didn't do it, I swear."

"No, this was someone else," Nanu said. "I have a good guess."

"What the hell?" Arthur said after rapidly blinking his eyes and trying to sit up. "Nanu, is that you, or am I seeing things?"

"No, it's me," Nanu replied, sitting back on his heels. "You're in rough shape. What happened?"

"Team Rocket is what happened," the Interpol agent groaned. "The bastards. Kept me in one of their hideouts for days and finally just let me go. Not before giving me a beating, I guess. Should've killed me."

"Looks like they wanted you to live," Nanu said. "They wouldn't leave you alive by mistake. Guzma, fetch me the first aid kit. It's...eh...it should be somewhere around here. I used it the other day when one of my Meowth gave a bratty kid the what-for."

Arthur reached around for his knife, patting around on his belt for it where it was usually sheathed. Sure enough, they had given it back to him before letting him crawl away. He took it out and began to feel parts of his body with his other hand.

"I know they chipped me," he said. "They let me go to track me back to the prison. Your old Champion has taken it over and they want to find her so they can do who knows what. It's as small as a grain of rice these days, but sticking it in my neck is the most obvious. It's probably...there."

Arthur rolled his tattered plaid sleeve up and gently broke the skin on his upper arm, digging a little until he found it. He was right. It was as small as a grain of rice, used mainly for tracking, while Morai's slightly larger square chip carried more technological capabilities.

"She did what?" Nanu asked. "She's out?"

"She ain't going anywhere," Arthur replied. "Unless the beast can fly, she's stuck until Team Rocket finds her, and the protocol is to shut all of our devices down and sever what little connection they had to the mainlands. Everything I know so far has come from Team Rocket, and it ain't much, but I'm sure my guys have it under control. My wife and daughter were there. When I get my hands on her, I'll strangle—"